Friendliness

"Stay quiet for now," Anthony said, setting down the bags.

Verna immediately quieted down and looked at Anthony for an explanation. Instead of answering, Anthony swiftly ran to the entrance of the large pharmacy and scanned the surroundings. About thirty meters away on the left street, a group of zombies was slowly moving toward them.

A solemn expression appeared on Anthony's face. There were more than thirty zombies in sight, most likely attracted by the bloody scent of the dead gang members on the ground. Based on his memories from his previous life, zombies moved extremely slowly, but their sense of smell and hearing were highly sensitive. Any slight movement or noise within a mile would draw their attention. The smell of living humans, especially the scent of blood, was a fatal temptation to them.

Averting his gaze, Anthony swiftly entered the pharmacy and grabbed the medicine, then said to Verna, "Follow me, zombies are coming."

"Okay," Verna replied, feeling fearful. She had witnessed the gruesome sight of those monsters devouring people, relentlessly chewing through their bones. Zombies had no pain receptors and were impervious to injury. Many of her colleagues in the hospital had been exhausted and bitten to death due to their lack of knowledge about this particular trait of zombies during their battles.

With Anthony carrying the medicine and the two bags weighing over sixty kilograms, they walked, one in front of the other. Despite the weight, it was effortless for Anthony, thanks to his current strength attribute of 4.6. The journey to the base wasn't too far, and any zombies they encountered along the way had their heads swiftly severed by Anthony's blade.

"It turns out that zombies die when their heads are cut off," Verna exclaimed excitedly, as if she had discovered a new continent, her face filled with anticipation. "That means if the military assembles powerful firepower and blows off the zombies' heads, they can be completely eliminated."

"It's a good idea, but zombies won't be eradicated," Anthony crushed Verna's fantasy without any mercy.

"Why?" Verna expressed a hint of dissatisfaction as her dream shattered.

Anthony calmly responded, "You'll find out in due time." With that said, they picked up their pace and continued forward.

After fifteen minutes, Anthony finally arrived at the entrance of the base. Verna also saw what Anthony referred to as the "base" and couldn't help but raise the corner of her mouth in a sarcastic manner. It was a small three-story residential building. The anti-theft net on the windows was rusty, and the paint on the large red iron door was scratched.

Verna wanted to ask, "Is this what you call a base?" but she restrained herself. Perhaps all men, just like children, liked to refer to their shelters as "bases."

Without noticing Verna's expression, Anthony walked up to the door and said, "Dawn, open the door."

"Childish man," Verna thought to herself.

The base was already ridiculous, and now they had an intelligent voice-controlled gate... But reality was different. Suddenly, an electronic mechanical voice rang out, "Scan successful, identity confirmed, please enter, master." With a click, the large red iron door automatically opened inward, revealing a futuristic, metallic interior. It made Verna feel as if she had stepped into an alien spaceship. Indeed, it was a base!

"It's just a base, nothing to be surprised about. Come in quickly," Anthony reminded, his slight sense of satisfaction evident when he saw Verna's astonishment at the base's technological feel.

"O-Okay," Verna nodded blankly and walked in. The large door closed automatically behind her, leaving no gap. "Are you a member of the Foot Basin Falcon Special Forces or the Da Zhou Dragon Team? Or perhaps you're not from Earth?" Verna asked excitedly.

Anthony replied irritably, "Have you been reading too many online novels?"

"Oh," Verna pouted like a guilty little girl and obediently followed behind, listening to Anthony's explanation. "First of all, this base is divided into three floors. The first floor is the kitchen and recreational area, and the second floor is the rest area with three bedrooms. One of them is mine, and you can choose between the other two. Once you've made your choice, I'll input your identity information in that room. Other rooms are off-limits without my permission. There is food and snacks in the refrigerator in the kitchen. If it runs out, let me know, and I'll replenish it promptly. Besides being the base's doctor, you'll also be responsible for cooking and cleaning. As for other tasks, you'll follow my orders."

"Is that all?" Verna exclaimed in surprise.

Anthony raised an eyebrow and asked, "What? Are you dissatisfied with my arrangements?"

"No, no, no," Verna quickly shook her head. She wasn't dissatisfied; she was actually extremely satisfied. To eat and drink from someone else's resources, only having to cook and clean, it was like heaven in the apocalypse.

"That's good. Now come with me to see the rooms," Anthony said, leading Verna upstairs for a tour. After going around, Verna was once again amazed. The beds in the bedrooms were neatly made, and she couldn't tell what material the mattresses were made of, but they appeared dense and milky. Verna pressed her hand on one of them and it sank right in.

Oh my, if a person lies down on this, they would be completely enveloped. The bedrooms were equipped with a desk lamp, a desk, a projector, and adjustable smart windows, all voice-controlled. There was also a decent-sized bathroom in each bedroom, fully stocked with toiletries. Even before the apocalypse, such facilities would surpass those of five-star hotels.

After touring the bedrooms, Verna couldn't help but voice her doubts, "Are you sure you don't want to keep me as a pet?"

In response, Anthony gave her a look as if she were a fool. "Do you think I'm that shallow?" He snapped irritably and then reminded her, "Once you've made your choice, I'll start inputting your identity information."

"Um, i want the room next to you" Verna took a deep breath. Although it was good that this man had no ulterior motives toward her, she couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration for no apparent reason. She had a curvy figure, E-cup breasts...

"Alright," Anthony nodded and said to the door labeled "Room 2," "Dawn, input this lady's identity information for Room 2 and grant access rights for her use only."

"Yes, master," Dawn's mechanical voice responded. Following Anthony's instructions, Verna stood at the doorway, and soon her biological information was swiftly recorded by Dawn.

Information about Verna immediately appeared in Anthony's mind.

"Name: Verna

Age: 28

Skills: Intermediate medical skills, basic cooking skills

Friendliness: 60"

Her medical skills were quite decent, but...

Unable to resist his curiosity, Anthony asked, "System, what does 'friendliness' mean?"

"It refers to the level of friendliness the person has towards the host. A friendliness level of 10 means there will be no conflicts with the host. A level of 20 signifies an encounter by chance. A level of 30 indicates the possibility of communication, such as asking for directions. A level of 40 represents a nodding acquaintance, capable of working together in the same place. A level of 50 signifies a casual acquaintance, able to work together in a friendly manner. A level of 60 suggests a relatively fast connection, establishing initial trust with the host, reluctantly becoming friends. A level of 70 means becoming good friends, with a high level of trust. A level of 80 indicates extreme trust, reaching the level of best friends. A level of 90 represents deep trust, where the host will believe almost anything the person says unless it's obviously false. A level of 100 signifies unconditional trust, even if the host lies, the person will still trust them unconditionally."

"So, you're saying that saving this woman's life only earns me initial trust in her eyes?" Anthony expressed his frustration.

"can be understood in this way"

"Alright." Anthony shrugged indifferently. It seemed that this friendliness level could serve as a gauge to determine if someone was a friend or foe. Exiting the system, Anthony continued, "If you're hungry, you can go to the kitchen and make something for yourself."

"What about you?" Verna was indeed feeling hungry, but she politely asked Anthony.

"I'll deal with it later." After advising Verna, Anthony hurriedly went downstairs. He needed to quickly convert the items in his bag.